If you’re going to camp out for a hot-ticket item, it’s a good idea to go straight to the source. That was the plan for hundreds of gamers this past weekend as they headed to the Nintendo World Store in New York City, seeking to be among the first owners of Nintendo‘s new tablet-toting console, the Wii U.

I was among them. Not as a member of the media, reporting on the spectacle of Nintendo’s 6-hour launch party in Rockefeller Center, but as a fan, just trying to get his hands on a Wii U of his own. I braved long lines and cold weather to become an early adopter, but why not kill two birds with one stone and share the experience? What follows is a blow-by-blow accounting of one of gaming’s most iconic rituals: the midnight console launch.

9:45 AM – Saturday, November 17th 2012: Having trouble deciding where to go Wii U hunting later that night, I give the Nintendo World Store a call to see how their line is shaping up. After all, the promise of entertainment, swag, and special guests is much more appealing than a nap on chilled concrete outside my local Target. The news is not good. The man on the other line says the crowd is growing fast, and that I should arrive by 11:00AM.

11:05 AM: After setting a land speed record for travel from my NJ suburb to downtown Manhattan, I arrive at the Nintendo World Store armed only with a hastily packed bag of supplies, my smartphone, and a 3DS for entertainment. Right off the bat, the first person I introduce myself to has the most interesting story of the night. After having traveled from Ecuador to NYC on a business trip, this gentleman has blown off work for the day to purchase a Wii U instead. He claims the system would cost him a thousand dollars back home, so I don’t blame him. That’s dedication.

Preparations are underway on what will eventually be the Wii U launch party venue. Photo: Matt Morgan.

11:20 AM: The queue behind me has filled up with friendly like-minded gamers. It’s good to be around your own kind. Line waiting paranoia questions have set in and dominate the early chit-chat: “How many units do you think they have?” “Has anyone counted the line in front of us?” Some gamers walking the line to collect 3DS StreetPass tags are of some assistance, providing some shaky intel on both figures and re-assuring us that we’ll all get Wii Us.

One dedicated fan walks the line with a thank you note from Nintendo’s hardcore gaming fanbase, grateful that the Bayonetta franchise has moved exclusively to the Wii U. Photo: Matt Morgan

Speaking of 3DS StreetPass, the thing is blowing up. Earlier in the year, my daughter had surgery and I walked the halls of a children’s hospital with my 3DS in my bag. Somehow, I did not ever once tag another 3DS player (horrible parents). Today? My Mii Plaza gate is under an assault the likes of which it has not seen since the last Penny Arcade Expo.

12:40 PM: My hasty packing job means I ran with whatever games happened to be in my DS case. Today’s entertainment? Hotel Dusk: Room 215, a murder mystery adventure game with a complex plot that I have not advanced in over a year. I stumble around aimlessly in-game trying to remember what exactly I’m supposed to be doing.

1:12 PM: Wristbanded! This means I’m guaranteed a console, and more importantly, the ability to (briefly) leave the line without fear. The Nintendo World Store staff working the line are all sporting sharp-looking Wii U track jackets. Everyone in line wants one, but they’re only available to staff. People immediately begin asking how to get a job at the Nintendo World Store.

Several people waiting in line celebrate the receipt of the wristband guarantee. Photo: Matt Morgan

4:08 PM: My section of line has banded together as a loosely-formed posse of 7. As the afternoon drags on, conversation has shifted to speculation on how much Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime could bench press to whether Waluigi should ever be left in a room alone with small children.

6:00 PM: The line begins filtering into Rockefeller Plaza. The man on the phone this morning wasn’t kidding: my group is the last let through the gates before the launch party area is capped off. As each person enters, they are handed a Mii mask, a Wii U foam glowstick, and a knit Wii U hat. There is much rejoicing.